Toxic » Salvatore

thirteen

thirteen
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"We have a bit of an issue," Niklaus trudged down the stairs the following morning dressed as dark as they come with the same no-nonsense attitude he held. "The Salvatore's are up to something, Kol just called and they have Jeremy again."

"Why is that such a bad thing?"

Pursing his plump lips, Klaus frowned. "I forget you aren't apart of our little schemes. How you remain so pure will forever astound me, little sister."

"Are you going to get to the part where you tell me what's going on?"

"Kol was watching Jeremy, Elena's brother and also our leverage. He's gone, most likely with Damon seeing as I've already paid a visit to your beloved."

Standing from her spot on the couch, Juliette grew worried, knowing full well the extent Niklaus would go to get what he wanted. "What did you do?"

"Nothing long lasting but I did find another stake." Adjusting in the heavy leather of his jacket, the hybrid kissed his teeth at the disapproval radiating off the woman before him. "This could've all been avoided had they simply given me what I'd asked the first time—if anything they've forced me to act this way."

Flipping her hair from her face, Juliette crossed her feet while rolling her blue eyes. "You are so dramatic, they're just children. Must you involve yourself in games like these? You're putting me in a very comprising position."

Her brother sent her a look, one full of questions and an underlying tone of absolute amusement. "All I wanted was my hybrids. You have Stefan back, nothing I do matters."

"It does actually," Leaning back into the expensive leather couch, Juliette got comfortable. "–because while you're out ruining other people's lives for your benefit, innocent bystanders get caught up in the mix."

"That makes it all the more fun." Klaus sighed, her clearly not as flippant on the subject as he was. This was all he knew, taking what he wanted from whomever he wanted it from, he'd never been properly scolded for his actions so he never stopped doing it. "I will make sure that my diabolical plans don't effect your love-life. If I do so, you are free to punish me however you see fit."

Biting her lip, one hand tugging gently on the ends of her hair, Juliette found it best not to respond to his statement. "So, why do you care about Jeremy?"

"If I don't get all of the stakes I asked for them I use the little brother to get a move on things. It seems that the people of Mystic Falls respond best to acts of violence."

Birds chirped outside the window, the sun shining brightly through the curtains and stretching its peels of perfect golden light across the living room gracefully. "Well, Stefan told me he was going to come drop them off; he should've been here by now." Getting up and holding her shoes she'd taken off earlier, the heels clicked against one another quietly as she moved. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, actually." Picking up his keys, offering Juliette a wave before his form retreated behind the large door.

Looking around the empty room, Juliette turned and pranced up the stairs searching for the other members of her family. "'lijah?" She didn't need to be yelling, he should've heard her and there weren't many places he could really be. Before she could continue her search, the phone in her back pocket started ringing. "Stefan?"

"Look, I did something I probably shouldn't have done and I could really use your help."

"What did you do?"

A silence overcame him, eyes closing shut with a deep exhale of breath before a response was given. "I can't really say over the phone. Can you meet me?"

Bending over to put her shoes back on, Juliette's response was immediate. "Send me the address."

A five minute drive and an annoying trek through some shrubbery and Juliette was met by her lover on the flaking porch steps. "Where is here?"

"The place itself isn't very important, it's what's inside."

Stefan guides her through the dark, dusty and clearly vacated home. Broken tables and left behind items covered in cobwebs and god-knows what else. The duo finally stopped at a room that was just as dingy as the others but fully open in floorspace. "I don't really understand why you'd need my help with this. Are you renovating?"

"Something like that." In the blink of an eye, the open space was filled with large coffins that looked more familiar that Juliette liked to admit. "This is what I need help with."

"Why do you have these?"

"Leverage, Bonnie thinks that whatever is inside this one," He rubbed his hands on the immaculately smooth mahogany wood. "–she believes it could be used to kill Klaus."

Doing her best to control her resolve, Juliette shuffled her weight on both heeled feet, pushing her wavy hair away from her face. "I know that you have ill-feelings towards Niklaus but isn't there some other way to go about this?"

"What other way matters? He took over my town, killed my friends, has used me to get the Ripper back. He's ruined my life and this is the only way to make sure he can't do it anymore."

"Obviously I can't change your mind and while I refuse to amuse the thought of you, my boyfriend setting out to kill my brother."

"It's not biological, you have no ties to him."

Snapping her eyes to his, Stefan was met with a fiery gaze he'd never once seen on his lady's face. She looked so angry he swore he saw red wisps of whatever wrapping around her finger but it was gone just as quickly as they'd come. "No ties? He's saved my life on more than one occasion, he gave me a home, a family, a purpose. You know the side of Niklaus that hurts others but I know one of love and I will not tarnish that just because of the love I have for you."

The few beats of silence that followed sounded more loud than when she was yelling. "At least answer me one thing. Who is in that coffin?"

"Honestly, Stefan, I don't know and I'm not sure we want to."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"It's the only locked coffin meaning whomever is in it was meant to stay in it."